Can we stop hearing "too bad it's a Kia" now?
What does an automotive brand have to do to put its cheap car reputation behind it? You'd think that building a world-class sports sedan like the Stinger or an industry-leading crossover like the Telluride might do it. But there are still plenty of people out there who will annoyingly doubt any of the company's achievements, summing up with this frequently-seen and poorly rationalized comment, "but it's still a Kia."
It's tricky to pinpoint why these people feel so scorned by the brand, but when asked why they won't finally consider Kia to be a world-class automaker, many say that the logo is just too basic. The letters K-I-A inside a black circle are nothing to drool over, but what's so special about a Blue Oval? If you are one of the people we described, you can finally let go of your anger towards Kia because its new logo is coming very soon.
Last year, we noticed that Kia filed new trademarks to replace its current logo. Speaking with Automotive News, Kia's Global CEO, Ho Sung Song, says the new emblem will play a role in the company's "Plan S" strategy. The 'S' in "Plan S" stands for Shift, as in shifting towards electrification. The Korean automaker plans to release 11 new EV models by 2025, including an electric variant of the 2021 Kia Seltos.
We have very few details about these new EVs, but Song says they will be "more dynamic, stylish, and inventive" than the company's current portfolio. "We will try to set up our new customer target together with our brand relaunch," he added.
Rather than create an electric spin-off brand, Kia will attempt to reinvent itself with this new lineup of EVs. To aid in this renaissance, Kia's new logo ditches the plain font of the current one for a more italicized look. The new logo was first shown on the Kia Imagine Concept car (pictured here) and should see use on a production car in 2021 as Kia enacts "Plan S."
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